Arias (shoulder) is on track to return by the end of the month, the Houston Chronicle reports. “He’s right on schedule, so that’s a neat thing to see,” manager Brad Mills said. “So far, he seems and feels healthy.”

After a very rocky start to his season (5.87 ERA through mid-May), Arias came back with a vengeance – carrying a 2.33 ERA at the end of July. He retreated somewhat from those numbers, in part due to injury, but his overall line remained useful for the Houston bullpen. Arias underwent season-ending hamstring surgery in September to remove a bone that had been causing inflammation in his tendon. He walks a few too many batters to be a lock to repeat his 2009 success, but as long as he's healthy, he should leave spring training with a job in the middle of the Astros' bullpen.

2009

The 25-year-old Arias split most of his time in 2008 between Triple-A Colorado Springs in the Rockies system and Houston's Triple-A club in Round Rock. Although he started just three games in his 38 appearances in the minors last year, he made two starts with the Astros after being called up in September. He had a decent strikeout rate in the minors, fanning 56 in 69.1 innings, and he walked just 21. He’ll have a chance to break spring training with the big league club, but will likely start the year at Round Rock.